Barcroftlad

Hi guys. Just to say that for an oldie who doesn't see much speedway these days it was a teriffic night out with some good match ups and a fantastic Final. Wow, who would have picked it. I thought Nicky had it sewn up . Great entertainment and all around me on the first bend the crowd seemed to be really enjoying themselves. I was disappointed in local media coverage. A few adverts, a couple of interview articles and I saw one piece on a TV news item a couple of days before the event. On Friday evening sports news on TV1 there was not one mention of the event. This morning's Sunday Star times I had to turn to page 10 in the sports section to find a report of last nights action and then only about a quarter page. I haven't heard the crowd numbers yet but it will be interesting. I thought it looked bigger than last year but how much I am not sure. The promoter Bill Buckley, made it very clear that it had to be a decent crowd this year to even think about extending his deal. Cheers.

Hi Lowena. I have just found this report. I don't have any photos of George but I can see him clearly in my mind as I felt that I got to know him when I was just a teen in the early 1950s. He used to visit and stay over with Norman Hargreaves in his days at Fleetwood. Norman was a neighbour and family friend and it was paradise for a youngster like me to be able to hang out at Norman's small garage just along the street on a Sunday morning and it was on those occasions when I met George. I still have his autograph and I have written under it Walthamstow, so he obviously continued to visit Norman after he left Fleetwood. George was a good guy in my memories. Cheers.

I believe that Bill Buckley knew exactly the risk that he was running when he put up his money to guarantee three GPs in NZ. From what I have read in different sources, including in here, that the possibliity of reviving a leg in Australia was also in the minds of the organisers. Sorry if it is inconvenient to you G the Bee but I can tell you that there were many old timers present at the two GPs run so far who, like me, have been starved of top class racing in NZ. It was lovely to see some old fellas struggling on their walking frames, determined to not miss a second of this treat we had. You are quite right in that the glory days as a speedway nation are behind us. For my own selfish part, Speedway racing is all about team racing which I grew up with, but when I chose a life down under I recognised there were things I couldn't bring with me. Something worth mentioning and that is the new track which Bill Buckley put in for the GP. Several riders who took the microphone at the meetings complimented Auckland on their track and the stadium, some even stating that it was the best track they had ever ridden. Cheers.

Hi folks. Haven't been on for a while but just thought you might like to know the latest news about GP NZ 2014 as reported in our local media a few days ago. Try as I might I can't find a link online but the report said that this third GP just might be the last one for NZ. Promoter Bill Buckley has reportedly lost a million dollars plus in the two run so far. It goes on to say that they will probably need a crowd attendance of around 20,000 to justify him carrying on. I think last time was about 10/12,000 from memory and maybe 14,000 at the first one. The previous two had racing starting at 4pm due to local issues with Council over sound levels. This time it seems the racing will be in the evening and a couple of weeks later in early April. I will be there to help the numbers having bought my ticket at the early release about three months ago! Seasons greetings to all. Cheers.

Well there were about 8000 to watch the All Whites at the weekend in a World Cup qualifier on a bleak night. I think that football,soccer that is, pulls in good crowds in Wellington, but Auckland is a different story. The Breakers basketball team are filling the 9000 seat Vector Arena regularly, indoors, so you are probably right Waihekeace. The Springs were sure rocking this year.

I must look out for the Aces next time I pop over to the Island! Cheers.

You are probably thinking of David Beecroft who has put together a few DVDs of old Halifax and Bradford speedway. I'll send him an email to draw his attention to your query. He just might be able to help.By the way, Arthur was a terrific rider and he wasn't called the Black Prince for nothing. Cheers.

Hi kevtyke, I was an Odsal fan and was there the sad night that Joe was killed. He sure was a popular rider.I have posted a lovely photo of Joe on the oldtime speedway forum. I have a few photos and copies of the newspaper reports of the accident if they are of interest to you.Cheers.

Before the Tudors they were called the Boomerangs with a white star and a white boomerang below that, all in a white circle.I think it was about1950-51 when they changed names.Cheers.

Well for me Odsal was Speedway heaven-in the late 40's early 50's. a decent banked track, it was FAST. The finest sight in speedway in those days (in my opinion of course) was Oliver Hart, the last of the oldtime legtrailers, in full cry around the banks. I don't know if the track was altered in anyway later on as I left in 1954. The Shay at Halifax was also a good track in those days. I went to Belle Vue once and that was also a great track. Re subject of thread--------- Wembley is the track I most regretted not seeing.As youngsters as we were then, Wembley had a mystique about it that we could only dream about. It might as well have been in another country as far as we were concerned. Cheers.

Hi everyone. In my old scrapbook I have a small photo of Cyril while at Exeter, head and shoulders, if it is of interest to anyone. Just let me know. Also I have the autograph of Bert Roger when he was at New Cross and as a curly one, I also have the autograph of Fred Rogers (Norwich). Any relation? Also the photo of Cyril has an "s" on the end of his name.I guess that is a misprint but it is one of those names where folk get confused sometimes and add the "s". Cheers, Bill.

I'm pretty sure that is not Bob Lovell in the photo.I remember Bob from his Odsal days, and I'm pretty sure that he was with Odsal in 1949, not sure about 1948.Cheers.

I received my copy today. Looks like a good account of the Hutt Park days which were before I came to NZ. There are many names in there which are familiar to me.

According to my schoolboy notes in my scrap book from that era, the Harringay team in 1949 was: Vic Duggan (capt), Wal Morton, Lloyd Goffe, Ray Duggan, Jimmy Grant, Geoff Pymar, Nobby Stock (res) and Dennis Dunton (res). I can't recollect the name Dunphy. Cheers.

Johnny is well and lives in Grimsby. We are in occasional contact and when I'm in UK we always get together for an ale or two.Cheers.

I can't remember seeing Don ride, but I do have a clipping from the Speedway Gazette,October 1954, which is a tribute to my old mate Johhny Greenwood when he rode for Edinburgh. Johnny was a bit of a tearaway and I quote from part of it " At one time Don Cuppleditch was paired with the youngster- a move which no one quite approved of,particularly the tall Don. Both of them were tall six footers and both liked to hug the white line as much as they could. Obviously they would not blend. But Frank Varey must have thought that this was the best idea for teaming up the rest of his lads best. So that was how it was. To see these two "team ride" was one of the funniest things in speedway-unless you happened to have the interests of either of them at heart. They followed each other----- or rather the one followed the other practically a tyre's breadth behind the other. This wasn't so bad when Cuppleditch was in the front-for Don is, and was, a steady slider. But when Johnny was the leader,everyone was on tenterhooks, especially Cuppleditch, who made every corner another milestone towards safety. Certainly nobody went for tea when the Cuppleditch-Greenwood pairing were on the track! " The article confirms what someone else has mentioned, that Don was a very steady rider. Cheers, Bill

I'll throw in a wild card here,simply because he was making his mark in 1954/55/56, before most on here were watching speedway. He is my old school mate Johnny Greenwood.He appeared for Liverpool and Exeter. He also rode for Edinburgh. In my scrap book I have an article from the Speedway Gazette Oct 16 1954 about Johnny and which concludes that "Johnny Greenwood was the last great rider to happen at the finest circuit in Scotland". I'm guessing that not many of you have heard of Johnny as I have never seen a reference to him on the various boards. I left UK in 1954 for Australia but we kept in touch and when he was offered a contract in 1956, by Fred Tracey, former rider and then promoter at Maribyrnong track in Melbourne, I was at the wharf to meet him. Johnny did very well in Melbourne and was invited to race in South Australia against the great Jack Young on his home track.As I recall, he was going for a maximum in his last race,had a bad start,tried too hard and crashed,losing the use of his right arm for life. Who knows what he was capable of. He was a tearaway with absolutely no fear. We are still in regular contact and meet up when I visit UK. He goes to most of the GP events, and is a member of the speedway vets ass, I believe.Cheers.

I have a head and shoulders photo of Kid Curtis in my scrap book of nearly 60 years. I also have a Brough Park badge from the old days given to me by Norman Hargreaves, a family friend, who rode for Newcastle in 1939.I'm happy to em the photo and a photo copy of the badge if they are any use to you.Cheers Bill.

What an interesting subject line----- As someone else has said-there were so many "favourite riders." My all time favourite has to be Oliver Hart,along with speedyguys comments, Oliver was DIFFERENT. Probably the last of the great legtrailers,when he was with a good line rider like Ron Clarke,an under rated rider,no one could get past. Olly simply leaned over and covered half the track it seemed. Another special favourite was Norman Hargreaves, who started as a family friend,my dad's mate,then a hero as I got interested in speedway,and then as my friend as I got older. Norman's best years were probably taken away by the war,but he did well enough to set a new track record at Birmingham and beat Graham Warren. My third special favourite is a forgotten name in speedway,a lad who I met at school,became mates with and 60 years later we still are. We rode cycle speedway against each other,then I emigrated and "lost" speedway for a while, but my mate Johnny Greenwood became a good rider with Edinbrough and Exeter ,was invited down to Australia in 1956 by Ted Tracey, former rider who then was promoter at Maribyrnong Speedway in Melbourne. John did well enough to be invited over to South Australia to race against Jack Young on his home track. Beat him twice and crashed in his last race going for a maximum and badly injuring his right arm. Lost the use of that arm permanently and a promising career finished.He goes to most GP meetings and still retains his interest. Is a member of the speedway veterans assoc.(sic).Cheers.

Sorry I'm a bit late in picking up on this thread. I also live in Auckland and would like to see a bit more.Speedway gets little publicity in the media here unless someone of world class reputation is in the country. Rosedale Park in Avondale seems to be the main track for bikes in Auckland nowadays but there is another track in Onehunga that sometimes has them on a Sunday afternoon,but this is mainly a stock car track. For the past two summers Ivan has brought some good quality Long Track riders for I think GP meetings at New Plymouth, or close to it. Maybe Stratford. Ian Hosking has a hand in the running of these. Over the summer holiday period there are usually bike meetings in places like Meeanee/Napier and Nelson. I haven't noticed any promotional/advertising stuff this year. Cheers.

Hi Leeds Lass- I'm an ex Keighley Lad !! For interest I googled " Speedway Wally Lloyd" and picked up on 6 different links to Wally,including some photos. One of the links had some unidentified 30's riders. When I get a bit of time I might try to enlarge them. Cheers and good luck.

Eddie Rigg moved to Aussie in the mid 60's and worked for Qantas ground maintenance section. He was still there in 1978 according to a magazine I have,"Australian Speedway Bikebook" 1978 edition. It is a pretty good read with over 100 pages of stories,photos and interviews,including---- interviews with Graham Warren and Eddie Rigg, who are asked to evaluate the finest riders they faced and to nominate the best Test riders of the last 30 years. That is prior to 1978 of course. Without me waffling on about their choices the teams they nominate are/were. Warren's team. England: Jack Parker (captain) Norman Parker,Split Waterman,Oliver Hart (my personal favourite),Bill Kitchen,Peter Craven,Nigel Boocock,and Peter Collins. Rigg's team. Australia: Aub Lawson (captain),Graham Warren,Vic Duggan,Arthur Payne,Jack Young,Jackie Biggs,Phil Crump,and John Boulger. Of those named, without delving into my box of bits and pieces to check, I know I have the autographs of Oliver Hart, Bill Kitchen,Graham Warren,Vic Duggan, Jackie Biggs, and Eddie Rigg himself who I was lucky to meet on a few occasions.There are some good articles and interviews including a 3 page one on the Johnny Hoskins story--Mr Speedway. Also, to mark the 50th anniversary of English Speedway,they featured four clubs,Belle Vue,Wimbledon,West Ham and Coventry,who were all involved with the birth of the league racing through the Southern and Northern Leagues in 1929 and 1930. Some lovely old photos including the Aces team of 1930. Oliver Langton,Clem Cort,Len Myerscough,Frank Varey,Bob Harrison,Eric Langton, and Herbert "Dusty" Haigh.Also team photos of the Aces teams of 1934 and 1936.Hammers of 1948 ( I saw that team race),the Dons of 1948 (saw them too),and the Bees of 1968. Sorry if I raved on a bit,but there's some good stuff in there to talk about. Cheers.

Great to see "The Black Prince" featured on here. Arthur Forrest was a real gentleman,always immaculate,ever a star. What might not be generally known on here was his ability with trotting (horses)racers,it might have been a family interest, but he once raced in a demonstration race at The Shay track at Halifax. In my scrapbook from those days,I have a photo and article from a newspaper of Arthur's marriage to Miss Marion Hughes of Mirfield, at Mirfield Parish church. I am so sorry to hear that he passed away. Cheers.

Split was a popular rider with fans from most clubs. A great rider and equally great personality.I was fortunate to see him ride a few times in the 50's at Odsal. Cheers.

Ken le Breton,the White Ghost, was probably the first to breakaway from the norm with his white leathers,probably about 1950-51. Arthur Forrest at Halifax in the early '50's was known as the Black Prince. His black leathers were so shiny they might have been patent leather. As a teen I earned my pocket money by cleaning the riding leathers of Norman Hargreaves,captain of Fleetwood Flyers. Try as I might, I could never match the shine on Arthurs leathers. Norman was one of natures gentlemen who died in 2003 aged 90.Cheers.